Greg Kosten, a guitar virtuoso who shines with a creative, eclectic approach toward instrumental music. Creative and progressive in performance, Greg soars at the stratospheric level with stinging riffs and cutting edge compositions that remain steadfast on his foundation of jazz / rock fusion. As a member of the Berklee College of Music and founder of the national Pi Thor - JAM Project, his playing is layered and tasteful, floating from full speed improvisation to open-sounding chords and chameleon-like variations. Greg is a damned fine guitarist in the jazz-fusion mold; an accomplished interpreter of subtlety and nuance. Fleet in attack and delivery, his style mirrors those of his acknowledged mentors: DiMeola, Howe, McLaughlin, and Metheny. Also evident in his acoustic phrasings are Ottmar Liebert and Jimmy Page.
Official Reviews:
The Pi Thorius Project is a freaking cool endeavor. The chops are here in abundance, as is the daring spirit required to play outside standard expectations of melody. In the fusion world, anyone can hear when a player lacks confidence, but that's certainly not the case here. From the sound of it, Kosten's fingers are apparently enjoying spectacular health.
Several great original compositions come forth: listen to Howard's Hamburgers, a tribute to steamy little sliders at the corner malt shop many years ago. This hot track reveals a surprising grasp of funk and is a joy to experience as little Jessica at age 6 places her order... with pickles included. Also working the funky vibe is Hollywood, which still shows the swagger evidenced by its original title of Bubble Butts. Speaking of funk, proper respect must be paid and directed toward Gary Kosten, Greg's brother, and an exceptional musician (bass and keyboards) as well. The songs featuring Gary's added contributions (Jurassic Funk, Miami Beach, and the epic The Sinking of the Kursk) all stand out as a result of the joined might and musical telepathy shared by the siblings.
Interspersed throughout The Pi Thorius Project are acoustic set pieces of mostly original Kosten compositions. Of particular note are Eastwood/Spanish Coffee, evoking the sound and feel of Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns; a rendition of the traditional Greensleeves, where Kosten branches out by adding sparkling mandolin to his acoustic guitar; and a tender track of Tchaikovsky's Pas de Deux, dedicated to Greg's young daughter, Jessica. The love of a proud father certainly shines through in this piece.
To experience Kosten's version of Stranglehold by Ted Nugent is an absolute treat! Volume swells and digital delay bring vivid images of Jimmy Page with a cello bow to the mind's eye, drawing forth dark tones, foreboding and sinuous, to announce the arrival of the rock classic. Here is where all of Kosten's disparate influences coalesce into an inspired whole: The lightning speed, the funky touches, the jazz-fusion phrasings, and most importantly of all, a rock and roll heart. The use of a baby-wah effect throughout the song creates a subliminal vocal track that renders both St Holmes' vocal heroics and Nugent's Herculean efforts, superfluous. Pure genius.
- J. A. Moga, 2005
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Concerning the Pi Thor JAM Project - Album 2
The latest Pi Thor-JAM material literally sparkles, and the colors in Kosten's sonic tapestries radiate vividly.
Crop Circles with a crunchy rhythm guitar that immediately advances like an other-worldly machine, lays a bed of menacing thunder for Kosten to penetrate with sonic lightning bolts.
Da Booty Blues is another hot vehicle that shows Kosten's whimsical sense of humor, as it features sound clips from Christopher Walken's character from a Saturday Night Live skit, "The Continental." Frankly put, The Continental is a randy sort, and the guitar sounds pretty horny as well. The imagination employed in weaving all the pieces of this tune together is a joy to experience. "I love dat!" is heard at several points in the song, and is it directed at sumptuous décolletage or the bluesy riffs that Kosten interjects? I'll let the listener decide.
Meltdown is a furious showdown between guitar and drums, which begins with each instrument carefully taking measure of the other's mettle, then undertaking a series of parries and thrusts, before cutting loose with a series of lunging attacks that serve to illustrate a carefully choreographed battle; one that ultimately resolves into an alliance between the combatants.
Lord Garth brings the funk to the table, and is characterized by an arrogant swagger and swooping slide guitar. Kosten's guitar creativity allows him to showcase his dexterity as he darts around, over, under and through a lurching beat; a master of knowing when to add either tension or a soothing soft touch to the piece. His guitar leads are always well-placed within the furious, yet precise, orchestration.
The true masterpiece of this project is The Bridge. Kosten's playing floats in - slowly and melodically for three minutes. Then, things ratchet up a notch, and Kosten launches into one of his patented thousand note flurries, but with an effect that makes it sound like he's playing underwater. A minute later, he does a solo on acoustic guitar and he mixes up the twiddly bits with the melodic stuff. Then comes more movie dialogue - more stuff about a train - and then the little melodic figure from the intro reappears. Then suddenly, there's a complete 180-degree turn as a driving drum solo comes in. Soaring over the top of the thunderous barrage, is more patented Kosten wah-wah'd guitar madness. There are train whistles in the background, and short stabbing bursts of guitar. The drums begin to pan from side to side and they sound just like a train. Volume swells of distorted guitar enter over the flanged drums, and the original song is back into the mix, but now it has teeth, menace, and momentum, just like a train barreling forward. The drums and instruments fade into more dialogue from the movie. And then, finally, softly, the intro figure comes back for the last time as a coda, and the song ends. Have a little faith, baby indeed.
Awesome concept; awesome execution. Just awesome throughout.
I can't wait to hear what the Pi Thor JAM Project III will sound like. If it benefits from anything like the creative leap forward between the first Pi Thor project and this one, it will be a mind-boggling endeavor.
- J. A. Moga, June 2006
